In the classic short story, A Man without a Country, Edward Everett Hale writes about a young military officer, Philip Nolan, whom he places in America during the early 1800’s. This young man became a friend, and then associate of the infamous Aaron Burr. Over time, Nolan so revered Burr that he grew to value his relationship with this one man over all of his other relationships. Nolan assumed the easy cynicism toward the state that was, to him, the sign of the knowing insider. Consequently, Nolan became involved in activities that led to his eventual arrest for treason, and trial alongside Burr.
When confronted by the judge, Nolan’s cynicism reaches its highest point. Nolan curses the United States, and then swears an oath: “I wish I may never hear of the United States again.” The judge, instead of sentencing Nolan to death, gives him a sentence of exile. Nolan is never to see nor to hear of his country again. The judge gives Nolan into the keeping of the US Navy, and charges it with keeping Nolan onboard naval warships for the remainder of his life. The Navy carries out its orders with its usual thoroughness and efficiency; Nolan never sets his foot on land in the United States again. When a ship heads back toward a home port, Nolan is transferred to another ship going the opposite direction. Naval officers even censor the newspapers and magazines Nolan reads to remove any mention of his homeland.
After decades of this life at sea, a changed Nolan finally approaches his death. A young officer recounts his conversation with Nolan as he escorts him to another ship:
"For your country, boy," and the words rattled in his throat, "and for that flag," and he pointed to the ship, "never dream a dream but of serving her as she bids you, though the service carry you through a thousand hells. No matter what happens to you, no matter who flatters you or abuses you, never look at another flag, never let a night pass but you pray God to bless that flag. Remember, boy, that behind all these men..., behind officers and government, and people even, there is the Country Herself, your Country, and that you belong to her as you belong to your own mother. Stand by her, boy, as you would stand by your mother...!" I was frightened to death by his calm, hard passion; but I blundered out that I would, by all that was holy, and that I had never thought of doing anything else. He hardly seemed to hear me; but he did, almost in a whisper, say, "Oh, if anybody had said so to me when I was your age!"
Hale’s message about his nation, his community, is powerful. Perhaps it might be even more powerful if we remember that Hale published this story in the Atlantic Monthly in 1863. Hale wrote the story as a call for those in South to reconsider what he considered a desertion of the Union during the Civil War (otherwise known as the War of Northern Aggression).
I am not choosing sides here. I hope that everyone would agree with me that slavery is wrong, and that the oppression of human beings to maintain structures of power and wealth is totally unacceptable. It is certainly also true that the North proved itself to be no more capable of a steward of power and wealth when the war was over, as they systematically punished and oppressed their surviving brothers and sisters in the South. Can we not learn something from this horrible breach in community? Doesn’t our current world confront issues just as important as slavery? And isn’t our citizenship in the church tested by, yet superior to, our citizenship in our country?
Doesn’t this whole discussion speak to the Christian about the nature of community and the choices we make to go or to stay, to exclude or include, within the community? Doesn’t wisdom require that the status quo is changed when it does not produce truth, beauty, or the good? Doesn’t it require that community is maintained, even when that community makes decisions which don’t necessarily align with our personal choices or loyalties? Doesn’t love and faithfulness toward the community require us to work out the tensions in these statements with one another? The writer of Proverbs calls us to wisdom here:
My child, do not forget my teaching,
but let your heart keep my commandments;
for length of days and years of life
and abundant welfare they will give you.
Do not let loyalty and faithfulness forsake you;
bind them around your neck,
write them on the tablet of your heart.
So you will find favor and good repute
in the sight of God and of people.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not rely on your own insight.
In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.
Do not be wise in your own eyes;
fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.
It will be a healing for your flesh
and a refreshment for your body.
Proverbs 3:1-8 - NRSV
Community has teaching to maintain proper boundaries. For spiritual Israel, those boundaries are described by Torah. There are going to be times when keeping Torah is inconvenient. There are times when Torah will requires exclusion, but usually it requires the harder task of inclusion. Torah is meant more to exclude our foolish behavior toward one another than to exclude one another. This ought to remind us that, no matter the time in which we live, there are always those people and events who will test our loyalties to our community. This has happened, and will happen within the church. This has happened, and will happen within the Westview community.
Especially in our youth, others test our loyalties to our community. There is an element in the church and within ministry that is “wise in its own eyes.” It displays a certain cynicism toward the community and status quo that is meant to portray knowledge, wisdom, and experience. Instead this behavior communicates disillusionment, disloyalty, and dishonor. If unchecked, these symptoms will precede spiritual death. This temptation to cynicism will seek out the young men at Westview and it will search out the young adults at Westview. On the other hand, those of us who are older are more tempted to sacrifice relationships to maintain the status quo. Both are unwise and evil. May we truly be wise in a godly way, and trust in the Lord with all of our heart. He will surely refresh our body within the body of Christ when we are loyal and faithful both to the community and members of the community as God is faithful and loyal to both.
Grace and peace among us,
Ron
